


Breakfast of Champions

by NeoVenus22



Category: Power Rangers Dino Thunder
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2010-01-09
Updated: 2010-01-09
Packaged: 2017-10-06 01:40:31
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,309
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/48323
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/NeoVenus22/pseuds/NeoVenus22
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The Dino Thunder team congregates for breakfast.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Breakfast of Champions

"Gruh," Conner murmured into his bowl of cereal. Almost literally into his bowl of cereal, because the arm propping up his head was becoming dangerously close to being horizontal.

"Don't say a word," cautioned Ethan, focused on Conner with considerable glee, as his friend's nose dipped precariously towards his Rice Krispies. "This'll be so good."

Tommy, however, rolled his eyes, and reached out a hand to shake Conner's shoulder gently. "Conner? You okay?"

"Five more—oh, snap. Dr. O. Guys. Did I fall asleep?" Conner blinked at them all in turn.

"Are you not getting enough sleep at home, Conner?" asked Hayley with concern, buttering up a slice of raisin toast.

"_Finals_," he groaned plaintively. "They're killing me. Why do they have to be so _hard_?"

Kira and Ethan murmured in commiseration, despite clearly being better rested than their former leader. Tommy and Hayley, on the other hand, only barely held back laughter.

Conner sighed. "What."

"It's just...well, Conner, it's only high school," said Tommy. "I know it seems like a big deal now, but..."

"Try going to grad school," Hayley summarized. Tommy nodded, slathering butter on a bagel.

"They're right," moaned Kira. "College is going to suck."

"Maybe for you two," said Ethan, and was rewarded by smacks on either side of the head. "What!"

"For your information, Conner isn't that much of an idiot," said Kira.

"What do you mean, 'that much!'" the boy in question demanded.

"He got into Stanford, after all."

"Yeah," said Ethan. "How'd you manage that?"

Conner drew himself up with a degree of pride. "Two words. Soccer. Scholarship."

Ethan snorted the juice he'd been sipping. "Not helping your case much, bro."

"Why do you gotta hate? Not this early in the morning."

"Well, you basically just admitted that you're dumb as a post but got in because you can kick okay."

"For starters," said Conner, now finally awake, and getting riled up, "I don't just kick 'okay'. I am a soccer _god_. I have _groupies_. When you have groupies, Ethe, then we'll talk. And secondly, just because you have a photographic memory doesn't mean that you're smarter than me. Don't make fun of me because I'm dyslexic."

At this, Kira, Ethan, and Hayley all made sounds of protest. "Would you stop with that?" said Kira. "You're _not_ dyslexic, Conner. No one believes for a second that you are."

Tommy was staring at him. "You're not dyslexic?" he said.

Hayley turned to her partner in crime incredulously.

"Uh..." said Conner.

"I think there's a certain midterm that you need to retake," said Tommy.

Hayley laughed. "You bought that nonsense?"

"Dr. O, I passed your class a year ago. If you think I'm going to go back and take another ridiculous test on the Jurassic again..."

"Speaking of dinosaurs, has anyone fed the boys yet?" said Hayley.

The teenagers looked at her. "The boys?" said Kira.

Ethan's eyes went wide. "You mean you..." he waved his hand at Tommy, "and he..."

Conner caught Ethan's meaning, matching his friend's facial expression exactly. "Dude! Not cool!"

Hayley, mouth half-open in shock and protest, leaned across the table to give Ethan a smack. "You're an idiot," she said.

"Why is everyone hitting me today!" Ethan cried.

"Tommy and I do not have _kids_," said Hayley in her best keeping-it-together voice. "I meant the Raptors. You _do_ remember the Raptors, don't you?"

"You mean they're still here?" said Kira.

"Well, duh," said Hayley. "What do you think happened to them?"

"Didn't they get destroyed in the battle?"

"Contrary to popular belief, things just don't end when the last battle does," said Tommy.

"Well, yeah, they sorta do," said Conner. "That's why it's the 'last battle.'"

"That was a great book," said Ethan dreamily. They stared at him. "C.S. Lewis?" he said. "Anybody? Whatever. Plebes."

"Anyway, there are consequences, and things to clean up..."

"And things to clean up _after_," said Hayley. "And I, for one, am sick of doing it. If you guys are going to come here for Sunday brunch every week, and mooch off of Tommy's hard-earned paycheck—"

"Hard-earned!" protested Kira. "He shows off his rock collection every day and calls it higher learning."

"—then you should at least help out occasionally."

"I thought we stopped being heroes for hire," said Conner. He poked Kira's arm. "Can't Lover Boy do it? Where is he anyway?"

Kira sighed. "For the last time, he's not 'Lover Boy'. He and I aren't going out."

"Besides, Trent's got enough to do up at his school," said Hayley.

Conner ignored the latter and concentrated on the former. "Sure you aren't. You just send each other schmoopy emails and have three-hour phone calls in the middle of the night for laughs."

"Conner, are you jealous?" said Ethan, smiling.

The soccer player flipped this idea aside with his hand. "Whatever. I have a girlfriend."

"Calling up Krista on Friday nights, asking her how it's hanging, and having her hang up on you does not exactly constitute the epitome of romance, Conner."

"I don't know, it seemed to work for some people," said Hayley, casting a sly look at Tommy.

The kids spluttered. "Ew!" said Conner. "Sick!"

Tommy shook his head at Hayley. "Why do you do these things?" he asked.

"They amuse me," she said casually, sipping her coffee.

"And what's 'ew' about it?" he demanded of Conner.

"That Hayley would ever get with you," he said flatly.

Kira was choking on her laughter, as was Hayley. Ethan was looking like he didn't know whether to be amused or scared.

"And why are we automatically assuming that it was she deigning to date me?"

"Dude, have you looked at Hayley lately? She's hot. And you are so not the guy who can get with a hot chick."

As Tommy's mouth fell open in protest, Ethan said, "Whoa, bro, is Hayley your secret girlfriend?"

"I do not have a secret girlfriend! I have a real girlfriend!"

"Face it, Con, you're a sad loser like the rest of us."

"Speak for yourself!" the other three chorused.

Ethan pointed at each of them in turn. "Dr. O: evil girlfriend who left you to boink your prodigy's father, who also happens to be both your mentor and your evil reptilian rival. Stop me if I get warm. Hayley: long distance. Kira: long distance. Conner: long distance and nonexistent. I'm the only one with a girlfriend in the same city."

"Elsa was not my girlfriend."

"You're about to get hit again," Kira cautioned him.

"Oh, man," complained Ethan, setting his muffin out of the line of fire.

Fortunately for him, the door opened. "Sorry I'm late," said Trent.

"Trent, my main man," said Conner, slapping a high five with the boy. "Just the dude I was looking for. We were just talking about how perfect you are for this job."

"Job?" asked Trent, helping himself to a slice of toast, only to discover that it was cold.

"Conner, reel it in," Kira commanded.

"I'm not going to be Hayley's scut boy again," said Conner.

Ethan laughed. "She really is your secret girlfriend, isn't she. You're so whipped."

"Who allowed him to talk?" complained Conner.

"The same idiot that must allow you to," said Trent.

"Oh, it's so on," said Conner, over the laughter of the others. "Go on downstairs, Trent. There's a present for you."

"Yeah, I don't think so," said Trent wisely. "I know you."

"Come on!"

"If you guys are going to behave like small children," sighed Tommy, "then I'll do it."

"You should," said Hayley. "They're yours."

"What're his?" asked Trent.

"The Raptors."

"Didn't they get destroyed?"

"See?" said Kira.

Hayley sighed. "Why do I bother? _I'll_ go do it." She pushed away from the table.

"Hayley?" said Tommy. She looked over hopefully, and he waved his coffee mug. "Refill? Since you're up?"


End file.
